The London Mayor said it was 'scandalous' that private
companies were paying their workers so poorly that the government needed to top
up their wages with tax credits. He warned the Chancellor not to used next
month's budget to begin 'hacking back' in-work benefits while pay was still so
low. Mr Johnson's warning shot comes after the Prime Minister used a speech
this week to attack the spiralling cost of tax credits – and accused giant
firms of using the benefits system to hold down wages. A study by Citizens UK
this year showed that there were 5.2million low paid workers in the UK,
receiving £11billion in state support. It is argued that if their firms paid
them the Living Wage instead of the minimum wage it would save the taxpayer
£6.7billion in benefits. Five of the country's biggest retailers – Tesco, Asda,
Sainsbury's, Morrison's and Next – reportedly receive £1billion-a-year in
taxpayer-funded subsidies for their wages bill. Mr Johnson is backing the
Living Wage campaign, where firms volunteer to pay staff more than just the
legal minimum. He said: 'It is quite
interesting how this movement is building. When I started as mayor there were
about 23 companies and organisations who were paying the living wage, it's now
up to about 617 – it's massively grown... It puts tens of millions of pounds
into the pockets of people who need it. It's a wonderful, wonderful thing.'

1 comment:

---"NAZI"---TORIES,--STEAL FROM THE POOR,-TO MAKE THE LAZY,-SCROUNGING RICH,,EVEN -RICHER,--ADOLF HITLER,IS ALIVE AND PROSPERING,IN 10,DOWNING STREET,-HIS ---"NAZI"---PEADOPHILE ,FRAUDSTER,STORMTROOPERS,ARE ALL IN TORY ---"NAZI"---PARLIAMENT,WE FOUGHT WORLD WARS AGAINST ---"NAZIS"---WE ARE STILL FIGHTING----"NAZIS"---TORIES STOLE -£TRILLIONS,FROM THE POOR,OVER GENERATIONS,-PLENTY OF EVIDENCE,ON THE INTERNET,CARROLL-TRUST,-UTUBE,-KEISER REPORT,FRUITOPIAN DIET,--"NAZI"--PRESS /MEDIA.COMPLETELY SILENT,--THEY ARE ---"NAZIS"---TOO.